Valentin Lefebre (aka Valentin Le Fevre; Valentin Le Febre; Valentin Lefebure;
Valentin Lefèvre) (1637–1677)
“Cain
Kills Abel” (Caino e Abele) , 1682, plate 1 from the series of fifty-three
plates, “Opera Selectiora” (aka “Opera selectiora
quae Titianus Vecellius Cadubriensis et Paulus Calliari Veronensis inventarunt
ac pinxerunt”), after one of the three ceiling paintings by Titian (aka Tiziano
Vecellio) (1489/90–1576) originally in the church of Santo Spirito in Isola and later transferred
in 1657 to the sacristy of the Basilica of Santa Maria
della Salute in Venice (see to Ruggeri [2001]), published by Jacobus van
Campen (fl.1682) in Venice.
Regarding
the publication of “Opera Selectiora”, the British Museum advises:
Etching
on laid paper backed with a support sheet.
Size:
(sheet) 35.6 x 32.1 cm.; (plate) 33.8 x 30.4 cm.; (image borderline) 28.9 x 29.8
cm.
Lettered
on plate below the image borderline: (left) V. Lefebre del. et sculp.”;
(centre) “Titianvs Vecellivs, Cad, Invent, &, Pinxit,”; (right) “J. Van
Campen. Formis. Venetÿs.”
State
i (of ii) before the addition of the later publisher’s [Teodoro Viero's] address.
Ruggeri
I.I (Ugo Ruggeri 2001, “Valentin Lefèvre: Dipinti, Disegni, Incisioni”, Manerba,
Merigo Art Books, p. 211, cat. no. I.I); Hollstein Dutch 1–53 (FWH Hollstein 1953,
“Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: L'Admiral–Lucas
van Leyden”, vol. 10, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 46, cat. nos. 1–53).; Villot
1 (Frédéric Villot 1844, "Valentin Lefebre, peintre et graveur à
l'eau-forte", in 'Le Cabinet de l'amateur et de l'antiquaire', vol. 3, p.
178, cat. no. 1).
The
Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:
(Transl.)
“Cain beats Abel with a piece of wood. In the background the smoking sacrifice
of Abel. The print is part of a 53-part series of prints based on paintings by
Titian and Veronese.”
See
also the description of this print offered by the British Museum:
Condition:
richly inked, near faultless impression with a small margin (approx. 5 mm.)
around the platemark. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no
tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing) and it is laid upon a support sheet of archival
(millennium quality) washi paper.
I
am selling this visually arresting etching where the dramatic moment of Cain
dispatching his brother (Genesis 4:8) is viewed from a very low viewpoint for
AU$230 (currently US$158.20/EUR141.49/GBP121.74 at the time of posting this
print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of
course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).
If
you are interested in purchasing this fascinating graphic translation of Titian’s
painting into line—note, for example, how Lefebre has enhanced (i.e. “toyed”
with) Titian’s treatment of the plant at the lower-left so that its angle of
lean is silhouetted against a white void of sky and how this accentuation of its
leaning angle draws attention to the same angle of Abel’s flailing right
leg—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a
PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.
This print has been sold
